The Jig Is Never Up

As Long As The Drovers Are Rockin` The Irish Tradition

February 16, 1989|By David Silverman, Entertainment writer.

The stage at At The Trax is about as big as the back seat of a station wagon, which is fine for the lone would-be comedians who gather there for improv night every Saturday. But for the Drovers, a six-piece (sometimes seven) Irish folk-rock band, things get to be a bit tight.

But the group has made the most of their close quarters, and their weekly stops at the downtown bar are quickly gaining them a reputation as one of the city`s more uniquely entertaining bands.

Led by Chicago-born musician Sean Cleland, 27, the group consists mostly of young Irish nationals who met after settling in the city. Nearly a year after its first rehearsal, the band has built a play list that brings together traditional elements of the members` Irish heritage with a bend toward guitar- edged rock.

``This is the music we grew up with,`` said guitarist and vocalist Brendan O`Shea, 21. ``All we`ve done is add the things that come naturally, different rhythms and more of an emphasis on the guitars.``

It`s a strange mix that includes jigs, reels and folk and rock standards played with an Irish flavor. From Woody Guthrie to Van Morrison and even a bit of reggae, the Drovers and their vast array of instruments easily assimilate a wealth of styles.

The Drovers-Cleland, O`Shea, Kevin Moran, Mike Kirkpatick, Liam Woopel and Jackie Bonk-play Wednesdays at the Hidden Shamrock and Saturday nights through the end of February at At The Tracks.

Going to Graceland: Another of the city`s best young bands, the Insiders, have packed their bags for Ardent Studios in Memphis to record their second album for Epic Records.

The title single from the group`s 1987 debut, ``Ghost on the Beach,``

landed in the Album-Oriented-Radio Top 10, but the record never took off. Though ``Ghost`` sold more than 100,000 copies (very respectable for a debut), the group said they were frustrated by delays and a series of record company snafus.

The group returned to Chicago, spending the last year writing and practicing in guitarist Jay O`Rourke`s 12-track recording studio/garage while playing a limited number of live dates.

O`Rourke, who produced ``Ghost,`` will team with Joe Hardy (Replacements, ZZ Top, Steve Earle) to produce the new LP, which could be released as early as the end of May.

Move this Way: Another group of home boys, the Way Moves, are preparing to shoot a second video for their recently released, self-titled debut LP. The group says it will be a performance video, featuring the band playing in an as yet undetermined downtown warehouse.

Next In Line? The Ultraviolet, an amalgam of Chicago-area musicians, has had their song ``Shattered World`` selected for the Album Network`s latest

``Unsigned Bands`` compact-disc release. The band is touring on the East Coast.

Let It Be: The three remaining Beatles and Yoko Ono are close to reaching an agreement with Capitol-EMI to end their longstanding dispute over royalties and other payments, Variety reported this week. Settlement of the main dispute, filed in 1979, would likely lead to the resolution of a stack of lawsuits that have accumulated during the last decade involving Capitol, the Beatles and Ono.

Easy Money: A British tabloid, the Sun, is offering $1.75 million to anyone who brings Elvis Presley into its offices alive. But there is a catch. Anyone claiming to be Presley, who many believe died in 1977, will have their dental records and fingerprints checked against the King`s. Also, all claimants must sing three of Presley`s greatest hits, ``Blue Suede Shoes,``